Once in college I drove 16 hours to San Antonio to watch Georgia Tech play in the Final Four. It’s a favorite memory of mine.
Camping out all night for student tickets in a make shift shanty town near the box office. The drive itself, a car full of dudes, with requisite stops at What-A-Burger, seeking out new radio stations as we passed through towns (this was the pre iPod days) only to listen to Britney Spears’ Toxic a dozen or so times.
The games were of course exciting. A last second layup to beat Oklahoma State, and our eventual dismantling by the pros of Connecticut was fun nonetheless. It was just thrilling to be a part of it.
One other part of the experience remains wrapped tightly in the foil of my memory – the breakfast tacos.
We stayed with a family member of an acquaintance who lived nearby and each morning they picked up what seemed like hundreds of small flour tortillas filled with no more than three ingredients – chorizo and egg, egg and cheese, potato and egg, and so on. I could probably write up the combinatorial possibilities for you, but I already said this was a Georgia Tech story.
They were simple and delicious and apparently not replicable in Atlanta, making them all the more haunting.
I visited Austin a couple of months ago and had the same experience at one of dozens of breakfast taco joints in the area.
Why no one has tried to launch a real deal Texas breakfast taco joint, I don’t understand. I’m told Willy’s does it in the AT&T bundling in midtown but I’ve not confirmed this myth.
The typical modern breakfast joint often tries to offer a breakfast burrito, I’ve had one such iteration at Stone Soup Kitchen, and they screw it up just like everyone else. Too much stuff. Overcooked eggs. American sausage or even chicken. Bacon? Are you kidding me? Unmelted, shredded cheddar, and more – it becomes the loaded baked potato of the burrito world.
Today I finally found something, while not authentic to my Texas experiences, which will satisfy my craving in a pinch – El Taco Veloz.
It’s not like this is a new “find” but while I knew this mostly drive-through Buford highway spot was open late, I never knew about their breakfast menu.
They have other stuff for desayuno but I only had eyes for the burrito. Chorizo, refried beans, egg, chopped onion and salsa, expertly prepared and devoured about fifteen minutes ago. I’m feeling a little less sad about my options today, but as nostalgic as ever, and thought you should know.
If you ever want to chat about breakfast tacos, or plan the eventual place I will open with the Fox Brothers (just guessing here), hit me up.
This last one is not El Veloz – it’s Paco’s tacos in Austin and I will just let your imagination run wild on what’s inside.
